2 Corinthians 6:14

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

a. NLT: Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

b. NIV: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

c. YLT: Become not yoked with others -- unbelievers, for what partaking is there to righteousness and lawlessness?

d. Amplified Bible Classic:  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?

e. Worrell Translation: Become not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship have righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

f. Wuest Translation: Stop being joined as with a yoke to unbelievers in a common state or endeavor which latterare of a character different from and diametrically opposed to the state od a child of God and any endeavor in which he may properly engage, for what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness.

1. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…”

a. Be ye [Strong: 1096 ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

b. not [Strong: 3361 me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

c. unequally yoked together [Strong: 2086 heterozugeo het-er-od-zoog-eh'-o from a compound of 2087 and 2218; to yoke up differently, i.e. (figuratively) to associate discordantly:--unequally yoke together with.] [hetero-different; zugos-a yoke] [Zodhiates: to be yoked unequally.]

1). This kind of yoke is different than the yoke Jesus wants us to have.

a). Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

d. yoke [American Heritage Dictionary] a crossbar with two U-shaped pieces that encircle the necks of a pair of oxen, mules or other draft animals working in a team…a frame or crossbar designed to be carried across a person’s shoulders with equal loads suspended from each end…a form of subjection, servitude, slavery.

1). This verse is used correctly to warn against a believer marrying an unbeliever. Nehemiah exhibits the zeal we should have inwardly toward marrying an unbeliever.

a). Nehemiah 13:23-27 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

13:24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

13:25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

13:27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

2). The verse applies to much more that though, as the definition of the word “yoke” reveals, it could mean any manner of working closely together with someone with the same goal. In the workplace we work with unbelievers with the same goal of putting out a product to be sold in the market place which in turn will supply our wages, and that is a good thing. The Holy Ghost though, is not referring to that here. He is also not referring to having relationships and friendships with unbelievers, Paul makes that point clear in other verses.

a). 1 Corinthians 5:9, 10 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

b). 1 Corinthians 5:9, 10 [NASB] I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;

5:10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.

3). Our whole purpose of being in this world is to mingle with the lost of this planet and win them to Christ. Paul is referring to relationships where one person is a believer and is too close with an unbeliever, and the unbeliever is influencing the believer in an unholy way.

a). 1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

(1) communications [3657 * homilia] [Zodhiates: Originally the word meant together in a company, companionship, but in the NT it means conservation.] [Vine: a company, association, or intercourse with. In the RV, ‘company’; it refers to associations.]

b). 1 Corinthians 15:33 [NIV] Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.

4). An unholy yoke is one that is entered into voluntarily but becomes bondage. When that occurs, it takes the anointing of God to break the yoke.

a). Isaiah 10:27 “…the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”

2. “…what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?”

a. what [Strong: 5101 tis tis probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.]

b. fellowship [3352 * metoche; meta-with, denoting association; echo-to have.] [Zodhiates: partnership, fellowship]

c. [hath] righteousness [Strong: 1343 dikaiosune dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay from 1342; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification:--righteousness.]

d. with [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

e. unrighteousness [Strong: anomia an-om-ee'-ah from 459; illegality, i.e. violation of law or (genitive case) wickedness:--iniquity, X transgress(-ion of) the law, unrighteousness.]

3. “…And what communion hath light with darkness?”

a. and [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. what [Strong: 5101 tis tis probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.]

c. communion [Strong: 2842 koinonia koy-nohn-ee'-ah from 2844; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction:--(to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship.] [Zodhiates: to share in fellowship with participation.]

d. [hath] light [Strong: 5457 phos foce from an obsolete phao (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare 5316, 5346); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative):--fire, light.]

e. with [Strong: 4314 pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

f. darkness [Strong: 4655 skotos skot'-os from the base of 4639; shadiness, i.e. obscurity (literally or figuratively):--darkness.]

1). This is a warning against getting too close with unbelievers. Love them desparately, walk toward them in the love of God, but avoid contamination.